Alipay plans aggressive expansion of public transport payments in China
Alipay plans to expand acceptance of its mobile wallet within different public transportation systems across China, according to a press release.
Alipay over the next year plans to expand public transport-related payments to more than 100 cities in China. The expansion will include both major urban centers and lower-tier cities, according to the release. At the moment, Alipay is available as a payment option for public transport routes in over 50 cities across China, among them major metropolises such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hangzhou.
Alipay said its proprietary technology, 'Offline QR Pay', processes QR code-based payments within 0.3 seconds without the need for internet connectivity on either the mobile phone or the QR scanner, which the company said is imperative for public transport payments.